Probable cause
The student pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student.
NTSB analysis
The flight instructor and student pilot were practicing landings in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The flight instructor stated that on the second landing, the student pilot encountered a sink rate that he could not recover from, and the airplane landed hard, collapsing the right main landing gear, and sustaining substantial damage to the right wing lift strut. The instructor stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC13CA050 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- May 28, 2013
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Napakiak, Alaska
- Nearest airport
- Napakiak (PANA)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Taylorcraft Aviation Corp F19
- N-number
- N3617T
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.